Tag Archives: psychology

Five days into 2019, we are in the midst of a government shutdown, and incessant talk about a border wall. The “wall” talk has been with us ever since Donald Trump decided to run for president, and like every other aspect of his presidency, it is a giant Potemkin village that is all show and no substance.

It is ironic that people like Trump are experts when it comes to construction. They don’t actually build anything tangible, but they excel at throwing up metaphorical walls that frustrate, infuriate, and have the capability of hurting many. While I have to keep in mind that Trump hasn’t ever been officially diagnosed as having Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) he exhibits the characteristics of it. Mind you, I am not an expert at diagnosing emotional disorders, but I, and many others have first-hand experience dealing with people who behave similarly to him. That’s why we are triggered by this mendacious, King Lear-ish despot who thinks he has absolute power over the entire world.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone with a narcissistic person, or persons in their lives that Trump is fixated on building a wall. People like him throw up invisible walls that can make life unnecessarily challenging for the rest of us. While these metaphorical walls don’t require any financial commitment, they can be both physically and emotionally devastating. Just look at the havoc the current government shutdown is causing: there are currently 800,000 government employees who are either working without pay, or furloughed until Trump decides to cave on his ridiculous request of $5 billion to build his imaginary wall. And the longer this goes on, the worse it will get. Entire agencies will have to shutter completely in order to satisfy the whims of someone who is categorically unfit to be in the position he holds. If that doesn’t scare you, you are ass-up and completely clueless.

Think for a moment about all those difficult people we must deal with who unhesitatingly throw up barriers that we are tasked with dismantling. It could be a family member, a friend, or colleague who habitually gets in our face with manufactured obstacles we must tear down. And we expend Herculean effort trying to deal with these, to the point where we are the ones who have to seek support to deal with the crises they cause. Meanwhile the “builder” of the wall stands back and gleefully relishes the frenzy before them. People get hurt, and the builder exhibits little to no empathy for the fabrication of anguish being wrought.

Those of you reading this who have had the incredible luck to be spared from a Trump in your life should pay close attention to what is happening. Either you are in denial, or you have some serious emotional issues. Many mental health experts will tell you that narcissists are beyond help and are not capable of changing. My personal solution to dealing with a narcissistic person is to cut them off completely. It is the only way to save yourself; the hell with what the narcissist is thinking or feeling – you must put yourself first in the equation and do whatever is necessary to get yourself as far away from this person, or persons, as possible.

It’s too bad getting rid of Trump won’t be so easy. Years from now, he will likely be a case study in psychology programs at schools all over the world. He will join the ranks of Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, and other malignant figures in history who caused the death and destruction of millions. That is, if we’re still around to contemplate the damage he has done.